The Night's Stars

by SC_Orion

Student

Nightmare Moon had led her back to the cell that housed the mares she had met. But rather than throw her back in with them, she kept her on the outside, looking in. Twilight was forced to stand there beside her, wearing the silver crescent moon necklace, watching.

Her friends all looked at her with expressions ranging from shock and confusion to, in Rainbow Dash's case, anger and betrayal. It seemed that, maybe, Rainbow Dash wasn't as loyal as she had claimed to be. There wasn't really any cause for them to doubt her, aside from her standing beside Nightmare Moon. For all they knew, the necklace was something Nightmare Moon had forced her to wear- which she had- but Rainbow Dash still seemed to jump to the conclusion that she had betrayed them.

"Twilight!" Rainbow demanded. Her glare was unforgiving. If the metal bars hadn't been there, she knew that Rainbow Dash would have tackled her to the floor, even with Nightmare Moon standing beside her.

She couldn't stand to see Rainbow looking at her like that. She turned her head away in shame, her vision growing blurry once again. She hadn't had a choice in this. Couldn't they- couldn't she- see that? They had only just met, but she had thought they were more forgiving than that.

"Be silent," Nightmare Moon growled.

"No!" Rainbow defiantly shouted. "Twilight betrayed us!"

It hurt. Oh, it hurt. Rainbow Dash valued loyalty, and now she thought Twilight had betrayed her. She thought Twilight had betrayed all of them. All of Equestria, even. And it hurt. A part of her mind shouted out furiously at her for letting this get to her. 'Friends!?' They made her vulnerable. They were insane. And she, for her part in at least partially considering them her own friends, was clearly insane too. She a fool for thinking of them as friends. She was a fool for letting them hurt her like this. That still didn't change how much it hurt.

Twilight closed her eyes but kept silent.

She heard Nightmare take in a deep breath, then exhale. It was an aggressive breath, nearly a growl. "I gave her a proposition," she started, "and I intend to extend the same offer to all of you," she stated. "Serve me-"

"I'll never betray Equestria!" Rainbow retorted.

The rest of the girls let out affirmatives, agreeing with her. Fluttershy and Pinkie, just barely so.

Nightmare growled at that, then Twilight heard- and felt- her hoof connect with the floor. "Twilight did not betray you or Equestria!" she shouted. For a few seconds, the only sound was Nightmare's heavy breathing. "She joined me because I threatened Princess Celestia and reminded her that I have been out of touch with Equestria for one thousand years, and as such, Equestria was likely to suffer due to my lack of knowledge, which she could rectify. I didn't give her the choice. Had she not joined me, we would not be having this conversation. You would all be dead."

Twilight stayed silent, though she shivered. There was a heavy, almost palpable silence that grew in the vacuum following Nightmare's last spoken word. That word lingered in the air, adding more and more weight to the atmosphere and making it feel oppressive like it was beating down on her. 'You really didn't give me the choice... but... why are you defending me?' It wasn't something she could grasp. Nightmare Moon was actually arguing in her favor. It made no sense. Nightmare saying that would make them hate her less, and that was the opposite of what she thought Nightmare wanted. Nightmare would also benefit from their nascent friendship- if it could be called that- shattering. If their friendship shattered, she wasn't sure she could use the Elements of Harmony, which meant that Nightmare Moon would have nothing that could stop her.

She could hear two of Nightmare's promises drift through her mind. 'I expect your loyalty, but in return, you will have my loyalty... If somepony wrongs you, then I will right it.'

Nightmare had made those two promises in such an authoritative tone, but she didn't for a second believe she meant either of them. Nor did she believe that was what this was. Nightmare would just use her until she no longer offered any use, then she would dispose of her. No, there had to be something else here, some benefit Nightmare Moon would receive from this. 'But what?' With no answers coming to mind, she knew she was missing something.

She heard Rainbow Dash touch down on the stone floor.

"I'm willing to extend an offer to you," Nightmare continued. "Rainbow Dash, though you're nothing more than an insect to me, I have to admit that I admire your fire. You have talent. You can join my Guard. The rest of you? I have no specific purposes in mind, but the offer stands. You can serve me. Or, you can decide not to. I'll let you go if you decide not to, as per my agreement with Twilight Sparkle. But do not cross me. Do not cause problems."

Several seconds passed in silence. Twilight kept her eyes closed but listened.

"Guard..?" Rainbow ventured. Her anger- her fire- was still there, but it wasn't quite as violent as before. "What exactly do you mean?"

"You can join my Guard. The Equestrian Royal Guard is quite lackluster, and I have to admit, you put most of them to shame in that you're at least willing to stand up to me. I can respect that, foalish as it is," was Nightmare's reply.

A few more seconds passed in silence. "What's in it for me?" Rainbow asked skeptically.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack and Rarity shouted and growled, respectively.

Rainbow gave a huff.

"You will be compensated, of course," Nightmare said, "and you will get to be the first among my Guard. I am certain that, with work, you will be able to become quite a formidable guard..."

Rainbow snorted. "Yeah, sure. And you expect that to sway me? I'm not going to betray Equestria for that."

"Very well," Nightmare spat.

Twilight heard Nightmare's magic, and hesitantly, she looked back towards the cell. Rainbow Dash's anger that was directed at her was mostly mellowed out, but she still looked upset. Applejack seemed to regard the situation more solemnly. Rarity looked at her with what she thought was almost a heartbroken expression that spoke of how her age- the fact that she was still technically a filly- was at the forefront of her mind. Pinkie didn't smile. Fluttershy was back in a corner, trembling, hiding behind her mane.

Nightmare's magic enveloped the cell's gate. "Step back," she told Rainbow Dash, "and do not try anything."

Rainbow glared at her but took a few steps back. Her wings bristled in agitation.

Nightmare opened the door all the way but kept her horn lit and held on to the door with her magic. For a moment, Twilight nervously bit her lip, half afraid Rainbow Dash would do something stupid. No, more than half afraid. It was Rainbow Dash, after all.

They were doomed.

In a bold streak of intelligence that caught her off guard, Rainbow didn't actually attack Nightmare Moon as soon as the door was open.

"You are all free to leave," Nightmare stated, "But do not cause me any trouble."

Applejack looked at Nightmare with a stern expression. "We're not leaving without Twilight..." she said in a low tone. It wasn't quite a threat, but it was demanding.

Twilight actually smiled at that. A sharp pain raced through the edges of her eyes, then warmth gathered at the edges of her eyelids. After a moment, it faded. "It-it's fine... g-girls," she offered before Nightmare could say anything about it.

Applejack slowly looked at her, studying her expression, then looked back at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare cocked her head to the side. "You are free to visit her, as she is free to visit you, assuming I have no immediate need for her," she stated. "And assuming all of you-" Nightmare turned to face Twilight, and Twilight took a step back in fear- "you included-" she looked back at Applejack as Twilight felt her body freeze up, "stay out of trouble."

A few more seconds passed before Applejack slowly approached the gate. She lingered at the entrance for another few seconds, seeming to ponder something, before finally stepping out. Nightmare, of course, stepped back to keep her distance.

It took a few more seconds before the rest of the mares left the cell. Fluttershy was the last one out, and it took both Rainbow Dash and Rarity to get her to move any closer to Nightmare Moon. She whimpered in fear, crying, the whole time. Twilight could barely stand to watch, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare look away. She couldn't read her emotions, however.

Applejack approached her, wearing that same solemn look as before. "A-are you... sure about this, Twilight?"

Twilight bit her lip and glanced at Nightmare. Nightmare looked right at her. She immediately knew that Nightmare was watching her closely. Nightmare could kill her in an instant if she so needed, or so chose. Princess Celestia could have too, but at least she knew Princess Celestia wouldn't. With Nightmare Moon, it was a guarantee it would eventually happen. She swallowed. "N-no... b-but... um... I-I don't have much of a choice..." she whispered.

Of course, Nightmare heard it. But she didn't say or do anything.

Applejack nodded slowly. "Alright... just... take care of yourself, alright? Be careful... We'll... we'll try to visit soon."

Twilight smiled and nodded, even as a lump throbbed in her throat. "Y-yeah," she croaked.

She didn't want them to leave. Applejack didn't seem to want to leave, either. None of them did.

Rainbow hesitantly walked over to her. "I... sorry. I..." she trailed off and looked down at her left. "We're... still good, right?" Her eyes glanced up at Twilight.

She wanted to scream at Rainbow- there was so much she could scream at her for- but instead, as crazy as it was, she nodded. "Yeah..." And with that, she had yet another piece of evidence that proved she had, without a doubt, lost her sanity. She shook it off, though. Given what had happened, she supposed it was to be expected.

Rarity ventured closer. "Oh, dear... please stay safe. I-I don't know what I'd do... if... if that ruffian hurt you!"

Rarity didn't seem to care that Nightmare was there to overhear it, and likewise, at least for the moment, Nightmare was patient and didn't immediately smite Rarity. Twilight could still see that Rarity kept thinking back to her age. She appreciated her concern, and it irked her.

Pinkie Pie walked over to her, then without saying anything, wrapped her in a hug. She wheezed as the earth pony reminded her that she was an earth pony. "P... Pinkie..." That made her let up, but only slightly. It was enough for her to relax and return the hug, nuzzling Pinkie's neck.

Nuzzling Pinkie felt so incredibly odd. There were only a few ponies she had nuzzled before. Sure, it may have been a completely normal social interaction for ponies, but she was Twilight Sparkle. The list of ponies she had nuzzled included her parents, brother, her foalsitter, Spike, and Princess Celestia. And now Pinkie Pie was added to that exclusive list. She wanted to groan.

Pinkie eventually pulled back, and Applejack brought Fluttershy over. Fluttershy practically leaped at her and hugged her, burying her head in her neck while sobbing. "P-please b-be c-careful!" was her barely audible plea.

Despite the necklace being right there, Twilight wasn't sure if Nightmare heard her quiet voice or not. She returned Fluttershy's hug. Even if she was an annoyance like the rest of the mares she had met, she didn't like seeing her so sad. But, by the time she pulled away, her chest was soaked with tears.

And possibly snot.

'Gross.'

"So... uh... where are we?" Applejack ventured.

"The dungeons of the castle you found in the middle of the Everfree forest," was Nightmare's disinterested reply. "My old home," she elaborated.

Rarity made an unhappy whining sound. "Oh, this place really is in a dreadful state... it's such a shame too! I imagine it really was quite beautiful before..."

Nightmare ignored her. "Follow me," she commanded. Ignoring everypony else, she turned, then started down the same path Twilight had trod with her before. Just like before, she levitated a small, white orb in her magic to provide illumination. As soon as Nightmare took a step, Twilight dashed over to her side, smiling nervously. Nightmare ignored her, along with everypony else.

For a few seconds, Twilight felt her body tense up as she heard the distinct lack of the sounds of her friends' hooves clicking on the stone to follow them. And Nightmare ignored it, continuing to stride forward. Twilight walked quickly, and she kept herself looking forward out of fear for what Nightmare Moon would do if she didn't stand beside her or if she looked back to check on her friends.

Eventually, she felt a wave of relief wash over her body as she heard the reluctant, then quickening, hoofsteps of her friends. Eventually, their pace slowed and matched her own in order to keep up with Nightmare Moon.

Taking a risk, she turned her head and cast her gaze back to see who was following them. And to her relief, all five mares were, although some were more disgruntled than others, such as Rarity who was abhorred by the dust and debris, and Rainbow Dash, who radiated an air of annoyance and contempt. For a moment, she feared it was directed at her, but she realized that, more than likely, it was directed at the alicorn leading them along. It helped that Rainbow had apologized, too.

After that, she looked back ahead. She walked along silently, as did Nightmare Moon, and so did her friends. It seemed that none of them had anything to say, or maybe, if they did, they simply didn't want to say it. She knew that she fell in that latter category- there were several things she wanted to voice, but she kept them to herself.

Unlike last time when she had walked this path, she didn't trip on debris, and nopony else did, either. It brought her a sense of relief, but that relief was limited. With every step, her unease grew. Eventually, they walked up the stairs Nightmare Moon had led her through before, then they walked down the same hallway as before. Even as they approached the doors to the Throne Room, however, everypony stayed silent.

Unlike the last time, Nightmare turned left, and she scurried around to make sure she stayed at her side, rather than falling behind. In truth, she didn't know what Nightmare would do if she fell behind, but she didn't want to find out, either. After all, Nightmare could still think it was an attempt to escape or an attempt to stop her, or perhaps formulate a plan with her friends, despite the necklace being there.

Both all too soon, and not soon enough, they walked out of the castle and into the courtyard. She found herself slowing down as they walked out. Out in the open, free from the castle's confining stone corridors, rather than feeling more vulnerable, she felt safer. The night sky looked down at her, but she at least stood a chance of escaping Nightmare's wrath out here. She could remember how they had all arrived and headed inside, so brave and ready to stop Nightmare Moon. Things had changed, now.

'How long has it been since... since sunset?' she wondered. 'How long did I- we- sleep for?' She nibbled on her lip and hesitantly lifted her head towards the sky. The stars were as beautiful as ever, pristine and sparkling in the night sky. The unease that had been building up inside the castle now found a vent and gradually dissipated. She watched the stars as the seconds passed, devoting the lesser part of her mind to making sure she didn't want into anypony- especially not Nightmare- or trip and fall.

At this point, if she tripped and fell, she knew she'd break down. The night had simply been too much for her to deal with.

Her gaze was inevitably drawn to the familiar face of the moon. It was still so, so beautiful as ever, and yet, the moon had never felt so far away as it did now. Her mentor- Princess Celestia- was held prisoner on the moon, now. There was no way for her to get her back. Perhaps she could have done it with the Elements, but now Nightmare Moon had them.

Unless Princess Celestia could escape, she knew she would never see her again. How she managed to avoid crying at that thought, she had no idea. Perhaps it was because she clung to the logical part of her mind, which told her that there was still a chance. Even if Princess Celestia was trapped, imprisoned on the moon, she might be able to escape. After all, Nightmare Moon had. Even if Nightmare Moon had defeated Princess Celestia, Princess Celestia wasn't bound by the magic of the Elements of Harmony, so her imprisonment had to be weaker than Nightmare Moon's.

There had to be a chance, even if it was small. She had to hold onto that.

"You may leave now," Nightmare stated pointedly. "You should find your return is as easy as your journey here."

Rainbow Dash huffed at that. "Yeah. Sure. You call that journey easy... I don't even know how many times we almost died!" she grumbled.

Twilight swallowed and lowered her gaze from the night sky. She glanced around to remind herself of her surroundings, then glanced at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon faced Rainbow Dash with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.

They lingered for a moment.

She took the time to look over each of them again.

"T-take care of Spike, please... a-and... let him know that... I-I'm okay..."

"Sure thing, sugarcube..." was Applejack's soft answer.

One after another, they approached her, then wrapped their forelegs around her neck and hugged her. The group hug lingered on and on, perhaps for a minute or longer, during which time she closed her eyes. Only for a few seconds did she feel Nightmare Moon's gaze on her, but it didn't feel predatory- it felt curious.

Finally, when they parted, she opened her eyes. Her friends were all disappointed and worried, and rightfully so. As soon as they left, she'd be left alone with Nightmare Moon. But there was nothing more they could do. They had tried and failed to stop her. If Nightmare Moon wanted them dead, it would be so.

She could see the pain in all of their eyes and their postures. The only pony with her head held high was Nightmare Moon- and her head was lifted towards the night sky, pointed away from the moon. She could see her teal irises surrounding her slit-pupil, and they seemed almost calm. Almost peaceful, even.

She watched Nightmare Moon for a few seconds. then turned her attention back to her friends. They said their goodbyes, wishing her well, demanding that she be safe and careful, and promising to visit soon. It felt like it all passed by in a blur. Could they really be leaving so soon? Another part of her was glad that they were leaving, though it filled her with dread that they were leaving her with Nightmare Moon.

Eventually, the group reluctantly headed away. Twilight thought for sure that they'd need more convincing, as much as she'd hate that. But, they didn't stop, even if their walk was downcast. Rainbow Dash didn't even fly. She walked with her friends a short distance before stopping at her new mentor's side and going no further. She found herself missing them as she watched them leave the courtyard. She found herself feeling vulnerable and so very alone as she stood beside Nightmare Moon. She felt put on the spot. She would have all of Nightmare's attention now.

She glanced aside at Nightmare as quickly as she could so that her visage filled her vision for no longer than was necessary. Nightmare retained the calm look, but her gaze was cast towards Twilight's friends. A few seconds passed in silence. Eventually, her friends reached the rope bridge, then started to cross the chasm below.

That chasm felt a hundred times wider now than it did when the bridge was out.

"Spike... he is your dragon?" Nightmare queried without looking at her- she still watched the five mares walk off. "The one on your back at the Town Hall."

Twilight nodded and swallowed. "Y-yes," she answered.

Nightmare nodded slowly. "If you would like, you can retrieve him."

'And subject him to you and all of this!?' shot out through her mind. She scowled at the very idea of forcing Spike into this- forcing him into Nightmare's presence, forcing him into the danger she was already in. She couldn't do that to him. Her scowl faded and she closed her eyes. It wouldn't be fair on him. It wouldn't be fair on him either way. Leaving him was wrong. Taking him was wrong. He'd be without his caretaker if she stayed away. He'd be in danger with her. "N-no," she whispered.

She could feel Nightmare's gaze on her, and she instantly opened her eyes. Nightmare's head was angled back towards her, and the alicorn watched her but said nothing. After a few more seconds, she looked ahead again.

"I have matters to attend to, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said. After a slight hesitation, she turned and looked at Twilight again. "And you will accompany me."

Twilight hastily nodded. It really was her only option at this point. "O-of course," she answered. She wanted to ask what they were going to do, but Nightmare looked back ahead before she could muster the courage to ask, so she kept silent. That, and she didn't want to risk Nightmare losing her patience.

She saw Nightmare's horn glow to life, then she felt Nightmare's magic envelop her. The tingling sensation felt paralyzing, then everything shifted. It was an indescribable feeling- she could feel one moment, then there was a feeling of nothing, followed by everything being different. The picture before her eyes changed so quickly, so immediately, that in that brief instant, she could see the ruined courtyard and the Throne Room of Canterlot Castle. Even with the double image, she could recognize it immediately- she had been there several times, though not exactly often.

The tingling from Nightmare's coldness faded instantly, and immediately following that, her head felt much lighter. The first image following the double image was that of the Throne Room she had seen before, but tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, as if the whole room had been shifted, and she felt like her heart skipped a beat. There was something wrong, but she couldn't place it. The lightheaded feeling took prominence- she could feel herself leaning left, then right, and she could feel her arteries going to her head pounding with slow but powerful throbs.

It took her a few seconds to recover, during which time she hadn't seen or heard anything from Nightmare. She swiftly glanced at the nightmare alicorn and found that she had her head turned to the left, slowly coming back towards the right. Her jaw looked held in place as if she hadn't spoken, but it wasn't tensed either. Twilight watched Nightmare continue her sweep of the room, and once her head was turned to the right, she saw Nightmare's eyes glance at her, then return elsewhere.

Putting aside Nightmare for the moment, she immediately deduced that there was only one thing it could have been: a teleportation spell. It excited her, and at the same time, it horrified her- it was a reminder that she couldn't teleport, even a short distance, at least not yet. She had tried so many times before, and she was close, but it was one of the few spells that eluded her. It also made the memory of Nightmare stealing the Elements flash through her mind. She felt her muscles tense up at that, and it made her breathing once again feel rigid rather than free.

Turning her attention back to Nightmare, she expected to watch her walk over to the throne, then sit down. But, oh no, that wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. Why? It was simple: where the thrones had been was now a crater. And oh, it wasn't just any crater. It was huge! She gawked at it. She couldn't stop the memories of seeing Princess Celestia sitting on the throne, smiling and looking so regal, from flowing through her mind. And now that throne was gone. She wanted to cry yet again.

'M-maybe eternal night i-isn't g-going to be okay...'

Princess Celestia wouldn't take that throne again. It was gone. Nightmare Moon wouldn't sit there, either. The throne of Equestria. Gone.

But instead of crying, she closed her mouth and let her gaze fall onto the floor. She studied the red carpet but didn't take any notes of its details. It wasn't like she was going to be tested on this, so it didn't really matter. Even if she was tested on it, it still didn't really matter. Even if she passed that test, Nightmare might just kill her because she felt like it, so it wasn't like it mattered.

"Where is the Captain of the Guard?" Nightmare asked. Her voice came out much sharper than Twilight had expected, and so she winced.

But then, there was the realization of who she was asking for. She felt her heart beat faster, and everything felt tight. 'M-my b-brother is the Captain of the Guard!' He was in danger! And she couldn't do anything about it. She looked up at Nightmare Moon and stared at her, but Nightmare was looking away from her. 'M-maybe I-I can t-talk to her!?' her mind frantically suggested.

"H-he's in the dungeons, v-visiting P-Princess Cadance," one of the guards whose voice she didn't recognize answered.

Her heart sank at that, and her ears folded back against her head. 'C-Cadance?' softly whispered through her mind. 'Y-you... c-captured C-Cadance?' She should have expected that. Cadance wouldn't have been able to put up a fight. Cadance couldn't hurt a fly- it wasn't in her nature. She was the Princess of Love. 'P-please b-be okay.'

Every fiber of her being wanted, no, needed, Cadance to be okay. Cadance had been her foalsitter! She was one of her closest and oldest friends because of that. And, Cadance had been one of her few foalhood friends- which was to say her only 'friend' outside of her family and Princess Celestia. The thought of Nightmare Moon hurting her left her wanting to run away, find an empty bedroom, then bury her head in the pillow and sob, regardless of how Nightmare Moon would act- or treat her- if she did that.

The emotional part of her was in pain. The logical part of her condemned her for being so weak and reminded her that Cadance wasn't a fighter. Cadance wouldn't have fought back. Nightmare Moon didn't have a reason to hurt her, excluding that Cadance was an alicorn. She clung to that logic as vigorously as she could in an effort to subdue her raging emotions- which had been in turmoil for far too long. She really needed a chance to get away and be alone after this.

"I see," was Nightmare's response to the guard. "Show me," she instructed.

"O-of course, y-your Majesty," the guard stuttered. "T-this way."

Twilight tensed up as the guard turned and opened the door leading out of the Throne Room and into the hallway behind the now-destroyed thrones. He waited, and Nightmare started walking towards him. Rigidly, she followed, looking straight ahead, simply focusing on putting one hoof in front of the other, desperately trying to avoid thinking about the potential ramifications of everything that had happened.

As Nightmare and her approached the opened door, the guard walked out of the Throne Room with a rigid, practiced military stride. Even Twilight could tell the guard was desperate to avoid drawing any more of Nightmare's scrutiny, and that was the reason for his stride. Sadly for him, it had the opposite effect, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare scowl. It was a faint scowl, just barely there, but she could see it- the way her lips twitched down in disgust, perhaps disappointment.

She avoided looking at Nightmare any further, wanting to avoid the risk of that scowl falling on her. Though she felt bad for the guard, it was much, much better for Nightmare's ire to be directed at him than her.

The guard led on, and Nightmare and her followed. They turned to the left at the T, and for the first time since she could remember, Twilight noticed the stark contrast to the right. Her head lingered on that other hallway, taking in the darker color palette and the banners of the moon.

How had she missed it for so many years? She had been through this very hallway many times, and while she remembered seeing that particular hallway, she had never given it any consideration. She had always passed it, viewing it as a curiosity, but, despite the sharp contrast and the emphasis on the moon and night, she had never asked about it nor investigated it.

As she turned so that the hallway was behind her, she finally turned her head back ahead. Though the sight was gone from her eyes, it lingered in her mind. She should have known there was something important about it. She should have asked about it. She should have realized that there was something she didn't know. But no, she had never asked Princess Celestia about it, despite how strange it was. And she had never traversed that section even though she had been given free reign, with some exceptions, to wander and explore the castle.

It had been a curiosity, nothing more. It hadn't been anything worth her valuable time. Why explore the lunar-themed section of the castle, when the solar-themed section had everything she needed? The section was alluring to her, but she never gave in to that desire, always brushing it aside. She had explored the solar-themed side, but ignored the night half, even with the allure of night.

She found herself regretting that. What secrets did that half of the castle hold? What knowledge had she missed out on by not exploring further? Would she have deduced that Princess Celestia had a sister?

She was broken from her musings by another turn to the left. Nightmare pulled a few inches away from her, and immediately, her focus sharpened back into a fine point as a lance of panic shot through her being. She nearly stumbled in her haste to right herself back at Nightmare's side. She breathed heavier and her heart pulsed faster.

She couldn't let her guard down, even to think.

And so she walked beside Nightmare, rigidly. Through the hallways, around the corners, and down the flights of stairs that led to the dungeons.

And the dungeons of Canterlot Castle were a sharp contrast to the dungeons of the Castle of the Two Sisters. The immediate difference was that Canterlot Castle's dungeons were actually maintained. The stairwell was illuminated by magical lights, bringing out the pristine condition of the marble. Even if it was a dungeon, it was still Canterlot Castle, and as such, it demanded dignity.

The stairs were perhaps twice as wide as the stairs at the Castle of the Two Sisters- there was room enough for a group of ponies to walk up and down at the same time, comfortable. The stairs weren't spiral like in the Castle of the Two Sisters, either. They walked down a flight of stairs- a level of the castle- then reached a platform, then there was another flight of stairs to the left, leading to another platform. This downward trend continued two more levels before they arrived at the dungeon proper.

Rather than immediately opening into a long hallway lined by cells, there was a large, square room. The left fourth of the room was sectioned off from the rest with a counter- a guard station- which had four unicorns standing guard. The counter was marble, but above the counter was open- a pegasus could fly through without any problems.

All of the guards went rigid as Nightmare turned her head to look at them. Nightmare took a few steps forward, then stopped and turned to face them. Their guide continued forward, his gait relaxing as Nightmare's gaze left him. He continued across the room, then stopped at the door opposite of the stairs. Twilight hesitated, standing where she was. Should she follow Nightmare and risk Nightmare turning back and stepping into her? She didn't take the risk- the consequences far outweighed what would happen if Nightmare's ire fell on her for not standing closer.

She just hoped Nightmare would give her a chance to explain before killing her.

Though she couldn't see where Nightmare was looking, she could see one of the guards, and he visibly tensed up under his armor every few seconds, then relaxed. She had the suspicion that each time he tensed up, Nightmare was looking at him, but she dared not attempt to confirm it, lest she suffer his fate.

Eventually, Nightmare turned her head to the right, glanced at the floor beside her, then glanced back at Twilight. Once more, she tensed up. Her gaze was calm, but that didn't mean she could be careless. Nightmare's gaze jumped back to their guide, who once again went rigid, then she turned to face him and resumed her authoritative stride.

Twilight quickly walked forward to catch up, then keep up with her. The guard opened the door, then hurried into the hallway beyond. It was a long, wide hallway that went left and right from the door. The hallway was wide enough, once again, for two groups of ponies to walk in opposite directions comfortably. Likewise, the hallways that branched off from the main hallway at right angels were also wide enough for two groups of ponies, but those hallways were lined with cells, she knew from memory.

Walking into the hallway, their guide turned to the right, then hurried along, and so they followed behind him.

While the Canterlot Castle's dungeons were more often than not empty, it was still a large complex. It was not the city's primary dungeon, either. This dungeon was only used in the most unusual of circumstances that involved ponies at the Castle. Mostly, ponies who did stupid things, or ponies who had been involved in stupid accidents that needed to get sorted out. Most of the time, it was nothing major, although the dungeons were far more than adequate to house ponies or other creatures who posed a serious risk to others. And most of the time, the stays of its occupants were very brief- perhaps no more than a few hours to an overnight stay on average.

And as they walked, they passed hallways that branched off to house the dungeon cells. She counted three on her side, which meant three to four on the other side. Each hallway was long enough for twelve cells on each side. And the cells were in much better condition than the ones in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Not only were they well maintained, but they had basic amenities and were, once again, constructed of marble.

They also smelt significantly better.

With each passing step, she felt her anxiety growing. 'How is he going to react to this?' became her primary worry, although it was still tied in place with her fear of Nightmare Moon hurting him, Nightmare Moon hurting Cadance, and, of course, Nightmare killing her. Honestly, she wasn't sure which fear was her biggest. All of them weighed heavily on her mind, and she really couldn't deal with it. Even if she had slept well, this was all too much for her to deal with.

They came to the end of the hallway, passing perhaps three more hallways on her right, then turned to the left. Her heart pounded in her chest as they turned. Standing in front of the very last cell, facing the right, was her brother. Shining Armor. Captain of the Guard. She trembled at his sight. He was sitting on his haunches, staring into the cell, silent.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to stand there, refusing to move forward, refusing to acknowledge what had happened. But her fear spurred her hooves on. She had no choice but to follow beside Nightmare Moon. Hard as it was, she fought back her emotions and forced them down. She had to, for her brother's sake. If he saw her in such a disheveled, panicked state, he would do something stupid, and that would be his end. Perhaps even her own end. Nightmare might even end Cadance, if that happened.

So she put on a brave face, as best she could. Her heart and gut still twisted deep inside her body. Anxiety, fear, panic, but she did everything she could to keep it in check.

Eventually, whether it was the sound of their hoofsteps, or him feeling Nightmare's gaze on him, Shining turned to face them. At first, she saw his gaze go to the guard, then it landed on Nightmare. In that brief instant, he had never looked so cold, so ready to hurt somepony before. Then, his gaze jumped to her, and it shifted entirely. Worry, fear, concern. She could practically see the thoughts racing through his mind, 'How did she get my sister? Why is my sister here? What are you doing with my sister?'

Eventually, they came to a stop a few of Nightmare's steps away from him. She dared not look inside of the cell for fear of what she would see. She dared not meet her brother's gaze. She wouldn't be able to hold herself together if she did. She wanted to run over to him and hug him. After all, he was okay, even if it was just for the moment. And she really needed a hug. She needed her big brother to be there for her, to protect her and let her know that everything would be okay. She needed Princess Celestia to be there, to protect her, to tell her it would be okay, to instruct her in what to do.

But Princess Celestia wasn't there.

Nightmare's gaze eventually dropped to their guide. "Return to your post," was her cold command.

The guard nodded, then made a hasty retreat, walking around Nightmare's left side and making sure to put as much space as he could between him and Nightmare- his armor nearly scraped the marble wall.

Shining Armor stood up and faced Nightmare Moon, though his gaze lingered on her. Hesitantly, Twilight glanced at Nightmare. Nightmare's eyes studied her brother with curiosity and intelligence. Nightmare seemed to ponder something, but she could not determine what.

"Captain," she acknowledged. Her voice was cold and sharp and sent shivers down Twilight's spine.

She tensed up. It was the sort of voice so filled with displeasure that promised nothing good if even the slightest mistake was made. Shining Armor was on just as tight a leash as she was, perhaps even more so. And that paralyzed her in fear.

"Yes, your majesty?" Shining inquired. His voice held no love for her, only disdain and hatred, and it was plain for all to hear.

Twilight couldn't believe that he willingly made that risk of defiance in front of her. Even more so than that, she couldn't believe that Nightmare didn't kill him where he stood. Instead, Nightmare merely snorted in disdain. Neither of them liked the other, that much was obvious. And it scared her. It was just simmering, all it would take was a single spark, and there would be lethal consequences. And those consequences wouldn't be for Nightmare Moon.

"My patience," Nightmare growled, "is quite finite.You would do well to remember that, Captain."

A moment passed. And oh, how horrifying that moment was for her. Not knowing if the next picture in her eyes would be the last of seeing her brother alive, not knowing what other consequences it would hold, and not knowing how Nightmare would react to learning that he was her brother.

"I am willing to let this pass for now, but I will not make a habit of it. You will respect me," Nightmare stated. "You can hate me all you want, but you will respect me. You will obey me. And you will not disrespect me in front of the guards."

She could nearly hear him grinding his teeth, and as it was, it looked like his jaw muscles were going to be ripped from his bones, showing as much as they were.

In a slow, calculated manner, Shining bowed his head. "Of course, Queen Nightmare." His voice was still angered, but not quite as disrespectful as before. After a few seconds of bowing, he lifted his head back up.

"I will replace you," Nightmare stated, "if this becomes a problem."

'Replace,' echoed through Twilight's mind. Her entire world spun around her. 'Replace,' came again. She felt lightheaded; there was only one thing Nightmare could possibly mean by that. If he kept this up, he would die. It was that simple. She would lose her brother, because unless she spoke up, he would keep being an idiot and then get himself killed.

The edges of her eyes grew warm while her face grew cold. She closed her eyes, but not before realizing Shining's demeanor had changed entirely, and his eyes were focused on her. Next, she felt Nightmare's gaze fall on her, and she squeaked. Instinctively, she took a step back in fear. The feeling of Nightmare's eyes on her was inescapable and so overwhelming. Terror gripped her being.

"P-please don't!" she cried out, unable to stop herself. Her distress was just too much, and so she cracked. A whimper escaped her throat, her ears folded back, and she felt warmth roll down her face. "H-he's my b-brother! P-please d-don't kill him!" she sobbed.

Her hind legs gave out, and she fell onto her haunches. She let out another terrified squeak as she hit the floor. Nightmare's gaze lingered on her. She tried to scramble to her hooves, but she tripped herself up and ended up falling forward. No sooner had her muzzle hit the floor than she covered her eyes with her forehooves to protect her from Nightmare's inevitable attack. How could she not attack? She was so weak and such a disappointment. She was already displaying just how worthless she was to Nightmare, which meant that she would be disposed of, and then her friends would be disposed of, and then her brother would be disposed of.

Instead, she felt armored legs wrap around her neck. "Twilight! It-it's okay, Twily..." Shining's voice whispered into her ear.

It was hope; a ray of sunlight in a hurricane. She released her head from her hooves, wrapped them around the back of his neck and pulled herself into him, shaking and whimpering the whole time. Nightmare's gaze left her, and at the same moment, she felt Shining grip her tighter. It was a comforting, reassuring grip, but instead, it only heightened her fear.

"You are brother and sister?" Nightmare asked. It was a curious voice. The prior malice was missing. There was no condemnation. There was no rebuttal. There was no disappointment. It was as if it was a curiosity, something she hadn't expected but had taken a sudden interest in. "I see."

She felt Shining's head turn to his right, likely to face Nightmare Moon. She couldn't see his expression, but his tone was clear: "If you hurt her..."

And that was that. Nightmare would kill him, and it was all her fault. She cried more and held onto him more tightly. It would be the last time she hugged him.

But, as the seconds passed, he continued to live. Nightmare's magic never reached out at either of them. Nightmare didn't kill him. Nightmare didn't kill her.

She heard Nightmare exhale. It was a heavy, tired exhale. She was stressed, perhaps annoyed. But it wasn't a huff. "I will refrain from killing your brother," Nightmare stated, "provided you uphold your end of our little deal. However, I will not guarantee that he will remain Captain of the Guard if he continues to disrespect me."

She cried more. She felt relief at that, but she still cried more. It was just too much for her to go through in such a short time span. Her whole world had been upended. Everything had changed. But, she could relax, if only slightly. She could relax, but not entirely. Nightmare would not be happy if she continued to show such weakness or such vulnerability, and if she kept it up, Nightmare would get rid of her for being of no use.

She kept her guard up. How could she not? Nightmare Moon had banished her own sister to the Moon. If Nightmare was willing to do that to family, what hope, what assurance, could she cling to that Nightmare wouldn't do worse to her? Nightmare's promise whispered through her mind, 'I expect your loyalty, but in return, you will have my loyalty.' But that promise came with a catch, one which far exceeded it and every other promise she had made, for it was the greatest, most absolute promise Nightmare had made to her: 'Disobey me, and there will be consequences. Betray me, and I will kill you.'

Nothing would ever make her forget about that promise. Her life was entirely at Nightmare's whims. She couldn't fight back and survive, let alone win. If Nightmare so decided, then it would be her death, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it.

"What deal?" Shining asked.

Nightmare remained silent for a moment. Twilight once again felt Nightmare watching her, and her heart skipped a beat. She tensed up, but Nightmare continued to watch her, patiently, waiting to give her the chance to explain.

Shining turned back to her. "Twily? What deal..?" he asked again, his tone lower, more filled with fear and concern than at first.

She swallowed and tried to find her voice. As if sensing her distress, Nightmare looked away from her. A moment later, she heard Nightmare's metal boots clicking against the marble floor as she walked away from them, towards the cell door. After a few steps, the sound stopped.

"S-she..." Twilight started. But how could she explain it? How could she convey it, even if she could speak without stuttering? "I-I..." she tried again, only to once more fail. She whimpered. It made her feel like a foal. She was so vulnerable and she felt so exposed. She was put on the spot, in the center of attention- it was like everypony was staring at her, waiting and watching for her to make a fool of herself. And how young that made her feel. She wanted to run home to her parents and hind behind their legs like she had when she was a little filly. "I-I'm.. h-her... s-st-stu-udent..." she croaked out.

"What?" was Shining's response. A simple one-word question, without any stutter, but the surprise and shock was still undeniably there. "No, you're Princess Celestia's student!" he retorted. "You can't be her student!"

For a moment, she felt Shining tense up, then she tensed up as Nightmare's eyes wandered over her body before leaving. She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a broken squeak, so she closed her mouth. Shining squeezed her tighter and ran his armored hoof down her mane, then up again, then he pulled her closer.

The sound of Nightmare's hoofsteps clicking against the marble came again. And after a few steps, they stopped. "I made her a deal," Nightmare stated. "She is now my student."

"Why!?" Shining demanded.

'Why? She was going to kill me if I didn't accept! She was going to kill my friends if I didn't accept! She would hurt Princess Celestia if I didn't accept! She would hurt Equestria if I didn't accept!' There were so many answers shouted out in anger inside her mind. But she didn't voice a single one, she couldn't. She wouldn't try Nightmare's patience by listing off the reasons, to say nothing of not being able to speak.

"Your sister tried to stop me," Nightmare replied. "So I gave her the choice: Become my student, or suffer the consequences of trying to stop me." Her voice was sharp, and it cut at Twilight like a dagger, stealing what little security she could take from her brother's embrace.

"You're hurting her," Shining growled.

She wanted to cry hysterically at that. But she couldn't. Nightmare Moon took a deep breath, then slowly and audibly exhaled. "Twilight Sparkle," she called.

Immediately, Twilight tensed up, her whole body becoming rigid in fear. Her eyes shot open and she looked ahead at Nightmare. Though her dark form was blurry, that same old look of disappointment was there, rather than the anger or disgust she had expected.

"I assume that you have somewhere to stay in the castle, correct?" Nightmare inquired, her voice taking on a formal tone.

She nodded quickly and looked down at her brother's back. She wanted to answer yes, but she couldn't even open her mouth.

Nightmare inhaled, then audibly exhaled again. "Captain, please escort your sister to..." she paused for a moment before continuing, "her room."

She wasn't sure, but she would have sworn there was a hint of amusement in Nightmare's voice at that.

Then, Nightmare's gaze fell upon her again. "Go sleep," was her command.

But at least the command wasn't harsh, nor was it something she dreaded. Sleeping would be good for her, she knew. And she was tired. It was a mental exhaustion, rather than a physical one. An exhaustion spurred on entirely by Nightmare Moon. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep. Maybe that's what she would do.

Shining, of course, hesitated. But, after a moment, he squeezed her, then slowly released her and stood up. She held onto him but let him slide out from her forelegs. She tried to push herself into a standing position, but failed and tried again. On her third attempt, she managed to stand.

"Come on, it's okay," Shining coaxed quietly.

She didn't believe him for one second, but nonetheless, she stayed closed to him and turned around. She heard Nightmare's hoofsteps receding from her. She bit her lip and looked back to see Nightmare standing facing the cell door. A moment passed, then Nightmare looked over at her and her brother. She froze up from fear yet again, then relaxed as her gaze jumped to Shining. "Please ensure that there are guards assigned for her protection," Nightmare stated.

In Twilight's mind, she recognized it for what it was: It was a pleasant way for her to say, "Please ensure your sister is kept under guard at all times."

Now, not only was Nightmare Moon listening in on her, but she would have eyes watching her. She had no privacy, nor any freedom to speak of. She may have been Nightmare's student, but in reality, she was a glorified prisoner. She looked away from Nightmare Moon and hung her head low as Shining led her away.

At this point, what did it matter if she looked weak to her teacher? She would die at Nightmare's hooves one way or another, it was only a matter of time.

Even as they turned the corner, walking further away from Nightmare Moon, she knew she was still well within her reach. And that? That would never change.

---

The walk back to her tower from the castle's dungeons had been completely exhausting, or maybe it was just the exhaustion caused by all of the stress Nightmare Moon had put her under catching up with her. Her tears had stopped, and her eyes had dried. Her fur, while dried, was still damp and cold- the cool night air made sure of that. But even if she was Nightmare's prisoner, strolling across the Castle's courtyard in the dead of night offered her some semblance of relaxation and freedom. It was quiet. It was peaceful. She could, for the duration of the walk, cast aside the constant fear of Nightmare Moon.

She had to force herself to not think about the fact that the night was eternal. The fact that she wouldn't see the sun again. The fact that she wouldn't see Princess Celestia again. Those thoughts would have torn her apart. But by not thinking of them, she could take in the night's unrivaled beauty. While the day was bright and cheerful, the lighting held none of the subtleties of the moon's light. The softer shades that evoked feelings of comfort, rest and peace, rather than the bustle of day.

She still had no idea how much time had passed, nor how long she had slept after Nightmare Moon captured her. She didn't ask her brother, although he would be able to answer one of her questions. She couldn't ask. She was too tired and too drained to ask. But looking at the night sky? That had helped. She took comfort in it, even if the sight of the Mare on the Moon had nearly brought her tears back.

Sluggishly, she walked up the stairs to her tower. Resolutely, Shining ascended beside her. She wouldn't have made the trip on her own, which meant that she would have, without a doubt, awoken to see Nightmare Moon. And if that happened? She knew she would scream in fear, and Nightmare would have stolen all of whatever remained of any sense of security she felt. Not that much of that remained in the first place. Not now.

She licked her lips. "H-how is... C-Cadance?" she asked. It was the first thing she had been able to speak since leaving the dungeon.

She felt a momentary pause in Shining's stride, which brought her to a stop, but he almost immediately overcame it, and so she resumed her pace alongside him, pretending as if nothing had happened. "She's..." he trailed off. He sounded unsure like he didn't know what to say. "She's shaken up," he answered. "But... she says she's... okay," although he didn't sound like he believed her.

A thought occurred to her. It was enough to twist her heart and make her close her eyes. Her legs even hiccuped, and she stopped. Her brother noticed, and he stopped too. "I can... try to... talk to Nightmare about her..." she whispered.

A few seconds passed in silence. She kept her eyes closed. "Twilight," he eventually drawled. "I..." he trailed off with a heavy sigh. That sigh spoke volumes of his conflict: the safety of Cadance, his marefriend, versus risking his sister's well-being. "Stay safe, okay?" was what he settled on.

She swallowed and nodded, then opened her eyes. Hesitantly, she looked at him, then met his gaze. In the end, there was nothing for her there. She looked down at her hooves and the marble steps below them. Then, she took a step without him. He lingered behind her for a moment before catching up.

"I'll try to protect you, Twilight," he said.

Twilight closed her eyes again. "I-I know," she replied. Her voice cracked, but she managed to avoid crying. She still couldn't shake the image of Nightmare killing him from her mind.

Silence descended upon them for the rest of their ascent. Once they reached the top, Shining took the lead and opened the door. Twilight hesitantly walked to the doorway, then stopped and looked back at him. It took less than a second for her to decide to turn around, then hug him again. He returned the hug, even more strongly than she hugged him. "I'll... try to make sure that the guards assigned to... guard you..." he trailed off. He sounded at a loss.

Twilight just nodded in response. All too soon, Shining's grip let up on her, and so she let up on him in return, then pulled back. She took one step back, then another, then she turned around and walked inside. Once she was clear of the door, she shut it behind her. The silence felt oppressive.

Her tower, her library, it wasn't as welcoming as before. It wasn't as warm. It didn't smell so familiar or comforting. It was dark- there were no candles glowing to give off light for her to see and read, although the large window opposite of the door let in more than enough light from the moon and the stars for her to navigate without tripping.

But Spike still wasn't there.

But she was too emotionally drained to deal with that right now. Barely holding her head up, she navigated her darkened library, then stumbled up the stairs. More than once, her hooves clipped the top of the next step, but she kept herself from falling down simply because of how sluggish her pace was. She had ample time to correct for each and every mistake she made.

And so, once she reached the top of the stairs, she shuffled across the room, ignoring everything else; her entire focus was on her bed. Thoughts of Nightmare Moon and Spike, thoughts of her brother and Cadance, they merely acted as weights shackled to her hooves, slowing her down. Halfway across the room, she closed her eyes and came to a stop. For a few seconds, she stood there silently as the pain returned to her eyes, then warmth dripped out of them.

She sucked in a breath, then lifted her right forehoof, which shook and shook and shook, then wiped the tears from her eyes. She set her forehoof back down, then opened her eyes, swallowed, and stepped forward. Step by step, she walked to her bed. As she put her forehoof down on the blanket, she shivered.

Her blanket- and bed, by extension- didn't feel as inviting as normal. The coldness of the fabric soaked into her hoof, and that coldness became what she focused on. Not the softness, nor the promise of sleep. Simple the coldness, the isolation, and the insecurity that now faced her.

She lifted her forehoof from her bed and set it back on the marble floor, then lit her horn. Her magenta aura illuminated the room, but it felt like it didn't illuminate the room anywhere near as much. The darkness was still constantly there, creeping in at the edge of the illumination.

She pulled the covers back, then climbed up into bed. She laid down on her side, facing the large window that looked out across Equestria. She could even see Ponyville. She smiled, but the very next instant, the smile was gone. She pulled the covers back over her body, then let her aura go. The room descended into darkness, with the window as the only source of light.

And looking out, she watched the stars in the sky above. A wave of exhaustion rolled over her body, but she fought it back, keeping her eyes from closing. She slid her right forehoof under her pillow and shivered as the chill of the blankets caught up with her. Even with her warmth gradually heating up the air, there were still a few seconds of cold.

'Is this my new life?' It was a quiet thought, one that drove her ears back to her head. She had gone from being Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student to the prisoner of Nightmare Moon, the very pony who imprisoned her mentor on the moon. And around Nightmare Moon, she felt like she was walking on eggshells.

Just because Nightmare Moon had yet to retaliate against her did not mean it wouldn't come. No, it would come, sooner or later. But perhaps, it wouldn't be fatal. At least, not yet. Maybe Nightmare would still find some use for her that justified keeping her around. But it would inevitably come to an end. Unless, perhaps, she proved herself to Nightmare Moon.

But that thought? It twisted her gut and left her with an unconquerable feeling of anxiety and dread. But she didn't have the strength to keep thinking about it. She needed to cry. She needed to sleep. She pressed her eyes closed.

And she cried until she fell asleep.

---

Tiredly, Twilight inhaled, and the scent of books brought a faint smile to her lips. As she exhaled, so too did the smile fade. She was distinctly aware of her lingering exhaustion, and the feeling of the fur of her cheeks being matted. Her mane felt unbrushed, but the embrace of her pillow kept that from bothering her. The air underneath her blankets was warm and comforting, in contrast with the air assaulting her face and uncovered neck, which was cool. She rolled over onto her right side and nuzzled her pillow, then tucked her head under the blankets. At her shifting, a cool current rushed under the blankets, coming from the edges of the bed and where the blankets weren't sealed around her body.

Through her closed eyelids, she could determine that it was either still dark, or that it was early morning. Or, the curtains were closed, but even then, she would have expected to be able to tell it was light out. So no, it was still dark.

An unease started to bubble up inside her chest, and she felt her stomach twist and tense up in anxiety. A feeling of foreboding took hold of the room's air, and it made the warmth under her blankets feel less warm. The bed's embrace also gradually grew less and less comforting. The soft, silken fabric still embraced and hugged her body, but it felt like it was receding from her, rather than reaching out to hug her.

The knot in her chest tightened and it spurred her into opening her eyes. She was facing the window, and looking out, she could still see the night sky, and the stars dominating it. It was a beautiful, calming sight. Her eyelids gradually pulled open all the way, and she looked out across the jeweled sky, feeling the anxiety budding up inside her wash away, then eventually fade entirely.

Her exhaustion still lingered, but she felt okay. Well rested, even. Calm. But, even feeling that way, there was an unease in the back of her mind. As soon as she had opened her eyes and saw the night sky, everything had rushed back to the forefront of her mind. Nightmare Moon. Eternal night. Princess Celestia's banishment. Her new role. Princess Cadance being captured. Shining Armor's peril.

And the unease lingered in the back of her mind, but the unease did not grow further, nor expand out to envelop the rest of her mind. Staring out into the night sky, she felt calm. Her exhaustion also helped, even if she felt awake. She was still drained. She licked her lips and glanced down at the floor. She kept expecting a wave of panic to suddenly wash over her- she kept expecting for it to click, just how much things had changed, just how much danger she was in, but the panic attack never came. Instead, a lazy calmness lingered over her.

But, of course, the insecurity was still there. Slowly, she brought her left forehoof up and touched the silver crescent moon laying on the bed in front of her chest. It still had its characteristic metallic coldness, but it didn't feel quite as omnipresent as before. She lifted her hoof up, then touched her chest.

Her heart was, of course, still beating. That was a good thing. It was a calm, rhythmic beat. Unpanicked, unstrained, relaxed. It was fitting, that she was just waking up, and the stress of the day- night- had yet to set in for her. But it was also disheartening. She knew that her peace wouldn't last. She would probably see Nightmare out of the corner of her eye and jump out of her skin in fear at her sudden appearance.

She half expected to see that happen right then or to hear Nightmare's cold voice. But it didn't happen. Nightmare, it seemed, was content to give her some faux sense of security.

She took a deep breath, then rolled over. She closed her eyes as the silken bedsheets caressed her body as she rolled over. The crescent moon was pulled up from the bed and came to rest against the side of her chest. It was off center, hanging there casually, not properly in place at her chest. Perhaps it would upset Nightmare, but for the moment at least, she didn't care: she had just woken up.

For a few minutes, she laid there lazily, but it was eventually broken as her stomach churned, then growled at her. Her lips instinctively pulled into a grimace at the realization: 'How long has it been since I've eaten?' Her grimace turned into a scowl. The last 'food' she had eaten was the 'food' Applejack- and her family- had force-fed her when she was checking on them for the festival. And of course, she had used her magic to speed up digesting that, so the filling hadn't lasted nearly as long. 'How long ago was that? How much time has passed?'

There was no way for her to know, exactly, without asking. But she knew that she had slept twice- first under Nightmare's influence, and then again from being mentally and emotionally exhausted. But how long had she slept for both times? There also couldn't have been that much time passing between when she woke up in the cell to going to bed again. But there was also the trip to the Castle of the Two Sisters. That might have taken a few hours. And there was the night before the festival. Add on one quarter to half a day from when she last ate, and she still couldn't reason it out without more information.

She sighed in defeat, then slowly pushed herself up onto her haunches. The crescent moon of the necklace swung forward, then swung back and bounced against her chest once, then swayed back and forth calmly, hanging from her neck. Undoubtedly, Nightmare knew she was awake now. Whether Nightmare was awake or not, she had no idea. She knew that Princess Celestia slept, so it stood to reason Nightmare Moon would sleep too.

She pushed the thought aside as she clambered out of bed. She winced as her hooves made contact with the cold marble floor. The floor immediately sapped the warmth from her hooves. It was one of the things she didn't like about Canterlot Castle- and Canterlot architecture in general- that the floors were predominantly stone, which meant that the floors were generally cold, which meant that walking made her hooves cold. Even if she was used to it, it was unpleasant upon first waking up.

And it felt a bit colder than normal, too. It might have been her nerves, or it might had been the eternal night. Hesitantly, she looked back over her shoulder out the window. Nightmare had been certain the moonlight- or her magic- would be enough for plants to survive. Perhaps it would be, but would it be enough to stop everything from freezing?

She tended to think yes. It stood to reason that the magic would work, plus, from what she had felt, it wasn't that much colder- perhaps a few degrees- and felt like it stabilized there. Perhaps it wouldn't even effect lower elevations as much as Canterlot.

She shook the thought aside and turned her head back to survey her library. It was still in the state she had left it in. There were no signs of anypony having sneaked inside to steal anything or watch her. That gave her a little bit of reassurance, although she knew there was the possibility that if somepony had sneaked inside, they might have been careful to hide their presence.

She wouldn't have worried about it if Princess Celestia was here, but she didn't trust Nightmare Moon not to sneak in and watch her sleep. It was creepy, and logically, she knew that Nightmare Moon had better things to do. Clearly, she was paranoid, but of course, that fit with the insanity she had discovered plaguing her as of late.

She took a hesitant step forward, and upon not hearing Nightmare's voice, she took another. Her gait grew more sure with each step, and by the time she reached the bathroom, it was a normal, casual walk. She lit her horn and closed the door behind her. A moment later, the room's magical lights glowed to life. Fortunately, with it being night, the lights were designed to be dimmer than if it was daytime, so she didn't have to shield her eyes to stop herself from being blinded.

For a moment, she stood there, then she looked down at the necklace. Nightmare Moon was, of course, listening in. Perhaps she was sleeping, but that didn't mean she wasn't listening or aware of it. For a moment, she debated taking the necklace off, but Nightmare's command had left no wiggle room. She shifted her weight apprehensively, then crept over to the shower and turned it on.

'Well, this is going to be one of the most awkward things I've ever done,' a part of her sarcastically noted. But of course, it was correct. But even that sarcasm didn't help with the nervousness that grew as she considered the prospect of Nightmare listening to her taking a shower.

She tried not to think about it too much.

---

It hadn't been as bad as she had expected, but it still made her uncomfortable to think that Nightmare Moon had been listening to her while she showered. But there wasn't anything she could do unless she actually asked Nightmare Moon for permission to take it off, which would probably get rejected emphatically.

Regardless, she tried to keep it out of her mind as best she could as she toweled herself off. Finishing with her tail, she levitated a brush over, then started hastily running the brush through her mane- which proved to be a mistake, as the brush snagged and tugged on her mane, which pulled her head up, made her squeak, and drop the brush. The brush fell from her magical grasp, then dropped down and yet again pulled on her mane, making her wince in pain once more as it tugged.

She puffed out her cheeks at that and huffed. Slowly, she gripped the brush with her magic again, then started running the brush through her mane in much slower, shorter strokes. She may not have had her mane elegant like Rarity, but her style was specific and precise. It was organized. And it took effort to keep it that way. Effort that, at times, frustrated her. But no, it was her own fault for not taking time to study spells that would help her with this.

After spending far, far too long struggling against the knots in her mane and tugging on her head, she was finally able to run the brush through the length of her mane without snagging anything. She smiled and let out a sigh of relief at that. She spent another few minutes working on her tail, and by the time she finished, her stomach was gurgling and reminding her of how empty it was.

As she worked on brushing her teeth, she found her gaze alternating between the reflection of the toothbrush and the foaming toothpaste coming from her mouth to her eyes. It seemed that, though she had slept and once again felt well rested, she looked haunted, even to her. Just by looking at her expression, just from seeing her eyes, she could tell that Nightmare Moon was having a lingering effect on her. Her eyes spoke volumes of how Nightmare Moon was on her mind, and how the fear and terror she evoked lingered.

And the more she saw that, the stronger it became. Even the air seemed to grow heavy and constricting around her. She would have sworn that the fur on her back started to stand on end, even though she knew Nightmare Moon wasn't nearby. She could feel Nightmare's presence when she was nearby, and her absence was just as notable. But that didn't stop her sense of security from shattering. Though she was alone, Nightmare was there with her. Listening in, from the enchanted necklace. Her magic was there, everpresent, keeping her leashed.

Still, she drew out brushing her teeth as long as she could, brushing them far, far more vigorously and thoroughly than she knew was necessary. Every second, every minute she could delay, meant that much more time free from Nightmare's oppressive presence. But of course, she knew it was just delaying the inevitability of being in her presence, once again. It did, however, give her time to try to prepare herself for Nightmare's presence and visage.

Not that it was much help.

At last, she spat out the rest of the toothpaste, then rinsed her toothbrush and mouth out. After putting the toothbrush away, she took a deep breath, then shuffled out of the bathroom. With each step, her dread grew. After stepping out of the doorway, she came to a stop and just listened to the silence, searching for any sounds to indicate the presence of anypony else, or worse, Nightmare Moon, but all was silent.

She breathed a sigh of relief, then took a deep breath and strolled to the stairs and descended them in quick order. As she walked to the door, her ears pinned back. Had Spike been there, he would have greeted her 'Good morning!' and she could even still hear him calling it out, cheerfully. But Spike was not there, and with him missing, and his missing greeting, she felt alone.

She walked to the front door and tried her hardest to shake off the feeling of isolation lingering in Spike's absence. She even managed to lift her ears back off of her head, but the pang was still there. She opened the door, then stepped outside. Like the inside of her tower, it was cool, but a part of her noted that it felt no cooler than it had been. Perhaps the temperatures would remain stable after all.

The beautiful night sky stared down at her, almost as if it was smiling at her, and her alone, despite the present company of two guards. She made herself ignore them, at least for a moment, regardless of whether it was rude or not, as their task was to keep an eye on her or to further serve to leash her. Looking at the sky, she felt some of her anxiety drift away. The feeling of loneliness was lost in the vast, beautiful expanse of the stars. Sadly, her gaze still fell upon the moon.

And the Mare on the Moon seemed to look down at her alone as if crying out for her. The remorseful look lingered in its features, despite looking so identical to the Mare on the Moon as it had been for the entirety of her life. She couldn't escape the knowledge that now, it was Princess Celestia's prison. Perhaps Princess Celestia was looking down at Canterlot, trying to see her, but she did not know.

Hesitantly, she looked down from the sky and out across the courtyard. For a moment, she just stared at the castle, then she swallowed and glanced aside at the two guards- first, the one on her left, then the one on her right. Neither of them said anything, and they stood their stoically. She didn't recognize either of them, but of course, that didn't mean much. There were only a few guards who she knew well enough to recognize. Although, she had heard from many sources all of the guards were familiar with her, which of course, made sense, considering that she was Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student.

Emphasis on was. Now, she was Nightmare Moon's student.

She swallowed, then exhaled. Slowly, she started down the stairs to the castle's courtyard. And as she had expected, both guards silently fell in step behind her. It made her nervous. There were times before when she had a Royal Guard escort, but the circumstances had been so different from now.

But still, she continued forward. After all, she hadn't a choice in the matter. Perhaps she had the authority to give guards orders, as Nightmare Moon said she would retain that authority, but she doubted that would overrule their orders to follow her.

The marble stairs and even the stone of the courtyard under her hooves was cold like that of her tower, although it wasn't nearly as much of a shock to her system as when she first set hoof on the floor. At least during the day, the stone had been warmed, even if it was still cool. But the moon just didn't have the same effect.

Every step brought her that much closer to the castle, and likewise, each step made the feeling of dread strengthen proportionally. By the time she walked through the castle's doors, the feeling of dread had become a palpable pulse inside her body. Slowly building up, then pulsing, radiating out in a wave of anxiety that made her body twist and tingle before settling down to build up again.

But the castle still had a lingering warmth reminiscent of Princess Celestia. The atmosphere felt warm, rather than oppressive, despite her replacement. Her tapestries had since been replaced, but it didn't stop her from associating this castle with her mentor's presence, and it brought some sense of comfort to her.

At her approach, the guards instinctively opened the doors for her, and so she was left with an unbroken path straight to the Throne Room. As the last door opened, she slowed to a stop, her eyes resting on the destroyed dais. While the destruction had been cleaned up, it was still ruined. It would take time to repair to Nightmare's specifications.

She took a deep breath, then let out a quiet sigh before heading into the room. Looking left and right, she searched for the unmistakable form of Nightmare Moon, but both to her elation and her disappointment, she was nowhere to be seen.

A part of her wondered why she was seeking out the nightmare alicorn, but her answer to that was simply, 'If I don't, then she will look for me.' And that wasn't exactly something she wanted to happen. Nightmare Moon would know where she was because of the necklace, and so she didn't want to risk her ire by trying to avoid her.

That, and the feeling of emptiness in her stomach. It was odd, yes, but given Nightmare Moon's takeover, she had no way of knowing what, if anything, had changed regarding food and the like in the castle, so she felt at a loss regarding how to get food from the castle. Were the cooks still there? Was there even food available? Had the procedures changed? They were concerns that a normal pony wouldn't have thought about, but for her, it was panic-inducing. There was the option to leave for food in Canetrlot, but she felt that Nightmare might think poorly of her leaving the castle grounds without permission, even if she did say what she was going to do.

With Nightmare nowhere to be seen in the Throne Room, she cautiously made her way over to the door that would lead to Princess Celestia's- Nightmare Moon's- chambers. The two guards followed behind her and said nothing as she headed into the hallway, nor did the guard standing beside the door say anything, which she took to mean it was okay that she was walking through there.

The first time she had walked to Princess Celestia's chambers had been so long ago when Princess Celestia had just taken her on as her pupil. Silly as it was, walking there on her own scared her. The guards were all friendly towards her- she was a young filly at the time, and Princess Celestia had made certain that they all knew she was her student, but it didn't make walking to her chambers any less intimidating. After all, Princess Celestia was the ruler of Equestria, she had been alive for thousands of years, and, of course, she moved the sun and moon.

The way she felt now put that to shame. She bit and nibbled on her lip uncontrollably. Part of her screamed out at the fact that she was damaging her body by doing that, but the unease churning inside her chest prevented her from stopping. Her muscles and entire body tensed and grew rigid with each passing step. Every time she came close to a hallway, her pace slowed, and her eyes jumped frantically from point to point, expecting Nightmare Moon to be hiding and expecting her to pounce out at her before she noticed her.

Even if it was silly, that was her fear. Nightmare Moon was Queen and Empress. She wielded the same power and authority that Princess Celestia had, but Princess Celestia was benevolent and predictable. Nightmare Moon was a literal night and day difference from Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia did her best to protect ponies and ensure they lived joyful, peaceful lives. While she had no experience with Nightmare Moon's ruling, she knew several things about her. One, she radiated an aura of terror. Two, that Nightmare Moon was the predator. And three, Nightmare Moon would use her power to get what she wanted.

Swallowing down her fear, her eyes came to rest on the doors to Princess Celestia's chambers. The radiant emblem of her cutie mark was still there, despite the room's new resident, although she knew in her heart it wouldn't be there much longer. She regarded the emblem with a solemn sobriety as she approached it.

Coming to a stop before the door, she stood there. The door was far more intimidating than it had been when she had first stood before it all those years ago. Cautiously, she lifted her forehoof up. Without her weight on her hoof, as it lifted towards the door, she felt it shaking and trembling uncontrollably. She swallowed, then moved her hoof closer to the door, intending to knock.

Her hoof moved closer, then refused to budge. Paralyzed in fear, she couldn't knock as she intended. 'Just knock. Knock on the door! She says she wants to be my teacher and wants me to be her student. Just knock!'

Nothing happened. So, there she stood, with her hoof lifted to knock, but frozen in fear. Meanwhile, the four guards there stood stoically, probably doing their best to ignore her making a fool of herself.

She took a deep breath, exhaled and closed her eyes. Finally, her hoof managed to connect with the door. Once, then twice, and finally a third time before she lowered it to the floor. And she winced and tensed up, clenching her eyes shut and looking away from the doorway.

A few seconds passed in silence. It felt like hours. And maybe, just maybe, Nightmare Moon wasn't there. Maybe she wouldn't open the door and stand there.

But no. It wasn't to be. Sure enough, she heard the door open in a whisk of magic, then the terror came. The feeling of Nightmare looking at her that set off a marathon for her heart, that made her chest tighten, rendering breathing a challenging task.

"Twilight Sparkle," she greeted. It was a casual greeting. Not surprise, nor annoyance, nor anger. Almost passive, but still cool.

"H-hello," she stuttered out. She could practically feel Nightmare lifting an eyebrow, and she cringed at that.

"Enter," Nightmare commanded. A moment later, a wave of relief washed over her as Nightmare's eyes left her. She managed to open her eyes and face her just in time to see Nightmare glance at the two guards. "Leave us," was her command to them.

She heard the guards bid a hasty retreat. At the same time, Nightmare stepped aside, offering her entrance to the room. Nightmare looked at her expectantly. She managed to take a step forward, but she couldn't stop her legs from trembling.

And Nightmare exhaled- it was a mixture of a sigh and a huff. It was enough to make her correct for her hesitation, and so she quickly fumbled with her hooves in order to get past the doorway. Once she was clear of the door, she stood rigidly. She was fairly certain that even the Royal Guards never stood as rigidly as she did. She felt Nightmare's eyes trace over her body, and she heard the door close.

Her breaths were shallow and controlled as Nightmare scrutinized her. Slowly, she heard the sound of Nightmare walking behind her, then circling around her left side before passing in front of her. Never once did Nightmare's gaze shift from her body. Finally, Nightmare came to a stop in front of her. She could see her gaze- a mixture of curiosity and disappointment. Perhaps something else she couldn't place. But, not once did she look up to meet that gaze. Instead, she stared at Nightmare's cyan chestplate and the crescent moon set in it.

"I believe we need to talk," Nightmare stated.

Twilight swallowed. There was nothing in Nightmare's voice to convey anger or any malicious intent, but her words were worrying.

She opened her mouth, only for Nightmare to preempt her: "If you are going to be my student, then we need to have an open dialog, do we not?"

She closed her mouth and nodded.

"Good," was Nightmare's comment. A few seconds passed. Nightmare's slitted eyes glided across her features. "I know that you are terrified of me," she stated cautiously. Twilight felt a pulse of fear spike through her body, and she thought she saw Nightmare's brow creased at that, but she did not look to be certain.

Nightmare Moon shook her head and let out a mixture of a sigh and a growl. "I am not your enemy, Twilight Sparkle. You are my student; I am your teacher." Her gaze settled back on Twilight, focusing on her eyes, as if trying to coax- or force- Twilight into meeting her gaze. Out of fear, Twilight obliged. Nightmare's eyes were still intimidating, but not quite so much as before. There wasn't the lethal, predatory gleam there, now. In its place, intelligence, curiosity, and interest. "I know you are not perfect," she stated. "I know you will make mistakes, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot expect you to be perfect. I will not expect you to be perfect."

A moment passed, and Twilight held her breath as Nightmare's eyes glanced side to side, studying her features. "I am not waiting for you to trip up so that I have reason to hurt you, Twilight Sparkle. I do not intend to hurt you unless you betray me. I recognize that right now you're scared. Too scared for this to work, in fact," she stated. "Recognize that I am not out to get you. I would not have offered you the position of being my student if I did not want to be your teacher. You may have been my sister's Most Faithful Student, but I, at least, would like for you to be mine. Whether you want to try to be my student or not, that is up to you."

Twilight swallowed and nodded quickly. She could almost feel sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Relax, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said.

She tried to obey that command. Even with all Nightmare had said, it didn't help. How could she let her guard down around Nightmare Moon? How could she trust her?

Nightmare frowned. "Do you wish to talk?"

Did she? There was a lot she would like to say. Sadly, most of that wasn't about to come out. Mostly, that was because of fear of what would happen if she did speak it. There was also the fear that kept her mouth clamped shut. She managed to make herself nod.

"Then speak," Nightmare replied.

"I-I don't feel safe," she found herself saying.

Nightmare's expression softened at that, then she looked away from Twilight. She stared at the wall, her gaze appearing to have hints of wounded pride to it. "That is entirely my fault, I know," she answered. "I did not realize you were so..." she trailed off and shook her head, then faced Twilight again. "You were not the threat I anticipated," was her succinct admission. Twilight swallowed. "And from what I have seen of you, I have been perhaps too harsh."

Twilight stayed silent.

Nightmare seemed unsure. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite grasp the right way to say it. Eventually, she settled on shaking her head. "I do not know you very well, Twilight Sparkle. Tell me of yourself. What is your age? How long had you been my sister's student?"

Twilight licked her lips. "I-I'm sixteen," she answered. "And... I've... I was... Princess... your sister's student for the past eight years."

Nightmare nodded. "You are young," she noted.

Were it anypony else- with the exception of Princess Celestia- she would have retorted them. But Nightmare didn't state it in any sort of chastising manner. It almost came across as a sad realization. Then, to her embarrassment, her stomach rumbled and churned, then audibly gargled, shouting out her hungered state.

Nightmare Moon slowly blinked, then raised an eyebrow. For her part, she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "I-I'm s-sorry," she stuttered hastily.

Nightmare let out a groaned sigh. "Do not apologize. When was the last time you ate?"

Twilight shifted her weight and looked away from her. "Um... Lunch... before... your return."

Risking a glance up at Nightmare, she found Nightmare squinting at her with a mixture of concern and disbelief. The latter emotion caught her off-guard. "Then you will join me for a meal, and we shall speak more," Nightmare stated.

She had to admit, that sounded partially okay. "O-okay..."

Nightmare waited a moment, then walked around her to the door. Twilight watched her and turned her head, then turned around as Nightmare opened the door. Nightmare looked back at her and waited. Slowly, she shuffled over closer to her and took a spot at her right side.

Nightmare took the lead and walked out first, and she followed beside her.

As they left the room, she heard Nightmare close the door behind them. She didn't hear either of the room's guards move to follow them, and so it left the two of them to walk the hallways alone. For a while, they walked in silence. Eventually, however, she felt Nightmare look at her, and in return, she glanced at Nightmare. The alicorn's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, then returned ahead. Likewise, she looked ahead too.

"Tell me of Princess Cadance," Nightmare said.

For a brief moment, Twilight paused, breaking stride. She managed to recover from the question, though not before Nightmare glanced back at her. "I... what... do you want to know?"

"How do you know her?" Nightmare queried.

It was a specific question that made her tense. Nightmare wasn't asking if she knew Cadance. Nightmare wasn't asking if she knew of Cadance, or how much she knew about her. No, the question was under the correct assumption that she knew Cadance personally. She grimaced. "She... was my foalsitter. When I was younger," she answered.

Her answer made Nightmare stop, which caught her off-guard. Nightmare turned to look at her. "Your foalsitter? Your foalsitter was an alicorn."

Twilight stopped and nodded. "Um... yes? Cadance became my foalsitter after Princess... after your sister took me as her student."

Nightmare studied her, then turned back ahead and resumed walking. "I see."

Twilight followed, though lagged behind. With a growing twist in her throat and chest, her gaze fell to the floor. "Please don't hurt her," she whispered.

She heard Nightmare's hoofsteps stop, so she stopped also. Nightmare looked at her. Reluctantly, she looked up at her. "She... was my only friend- outside of my family and... your sister- when I was a foal..."

Nightmare studied her. But as she had said, she was not out to get her. She regarded Twilight for a few seconds. "I do not intend to hurt her unless she becomes a problem," was her answer. "Nor do I care that she is apparently involved with the Captain of the Guard. So long as it does not cause problems."

She felt a bit relieved at that. "Thank you..." she said. Nightmare stayed silent, turned ahead and resumed walking. She followed. Perhaps Nightmare wasn't as bad as she thought. Maybe she could afford to relax slightly around her.

"Cadance is the Princess of Love, correct?" Nightmare inquired.

"Yes," Twilight replied.

"I see. How old is she? What sort of political power did she have? What about her authority?"

"Um... she's twenty-two. As far as I know, she didn't really do anything like Pr... your sister. Well... I mean, she didn't hold court sessions or anything. She... mostly did more social events," she answered.

"And how did she become an alicorn?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight took a deep breath. Now that had been a great bedtime story! "Well... she defeated an evil unicorn who tried to steal the love of everypony in her town. She was an orphan pegasus when she did that... and she got her cutie mark. And as she tells it, Princess Celestia found her somewhere. She wasn't sure where she was. She said that there were these white orbs everywhere and that the entire sky was blue but seemed to stretch on for infinity. The ground was just light, too."

As she explained, she saw Nightmare's stride slow. "I... see," she said. Her voice sounded much more pondering than before.

Twilight wasn't sure what to make of that, but it stood out to her.

Nightmare glanced back at her. "And what of you? How did you get your cutie mark?"

She shifted her weight. It was a memory she treasured, even if it was slightly embarrassing. But now it was tainted by Nightmare Moon's question. She sighed softly, drawing another glance from Nightmare. "It was... the entrance exam to Pr... your sister's school for gifted unicorns," she ventured hesitantly. "The exam required me to hatch a dragon's egg-"

Nightmare paused and looked at her. "And you were eight at the time? Surely that..." she trailed off, a wave of bewilderment crossing her features.

She nodded and shifted her weight. "Well, yes. It was actually just a test to see how foals handled failure. We weren't expected to hatch the egg."

Nightmare seemed relieved at that.

"And... well, I did," she said.

Nightmare's bewilderment returned for a split second, then it morphed to intrigue. "Your baby dragon?"

Twilight nodded slowly. "Spike... yes. I hatched him. There was... something. A rainbow explosion in the sky and it scared me. I hadn't been doing well with my magic before that. I was scared and... under pressure, so..." she trailed off and paused for a moment. "But then that rainbow explosion happened and... I don't remember what happened, but... Apparently, Princess..." she trailed off and let out a quiet, disappointed sigh. "Your sister found me, hovering in the air suspended by my own magic. I had turned the judges and my parents into potted plants, and hatched Spike, in addition to growing him to... probably close to one hundred times his size," she explained.

"Interesting..." escaped Nightmare's lips. She wasn't sure whether that was intentional on Nightmare' part or not but suspected it wasn't. A few more seconds passed, then Nightmare turned around and resumed walking, almost as if nothing had happened.

She had expected more questions following that, but instead, a silence had descended between them. It was a silence that, as time went on, made her feel nervous. However, the occasional glance from Nightmare gave a hint of her emotions. Once again, showing a curiosity directed at her.

Perhaps it was their talking, or perhaps it was the fact that Nightmare wasn't threatening her now, but she felt a little more sure as she walked beside Nightmare. Beyond the terrifying visage, there was a pony there, one who could hold a conversation. A small sense of security had returned, and her nerves were more under control. It reminded her of how at first she had been so terrified of being Princess Celestia's student, but then grew used to her, then attached to her.

She blushed faintly as a few happy memories ran through her mind: Princess Celestia hugging her, feeling Princess Celestia's soft feathers, how soft her coat was and how warm her body was. She cherished each and every hug and nuzzle, but even more than that, she cherished how, when she was younger, she had gotten to cuddle with Princess Celestia. But then, as she grew up, she realized just how improper that had been, and so it had horrified her to no end. After that, they still shared hugs and nuzzles, but nothing more.

And as she thought about it, she sighed, even as a thought nagged at her. Princess Celestia really did cherish her, but she had also lied to her. Perhaps it had been to protect her, but Princess Celestia still lied to her. And then, more concerning, was that if Princess Celestia truly cared for her like she thought, then Nightmare Moon would be correct. She would be the perfect way for Nightmare to hurt Princess Celestia.

Another casual, curious glance from Nightmare Moon and those memories whisked away. The more concerning thoughts of what would happen if she betrayed Nightmare dominated her mind, and she found her anxiety growing once again.

Nightmare didn't say anything about it.

Eventually, they arrived at Princess Celestia's private dining room. The two unicorn guards pulled the doors open at Nightmare's approach, and she strode in, bringing with her an authority and dominance, as if to say, "I own this room."

The room was grand- the walls and floor were marble, inlaid with sweeping golden swirls and elegant curves. Chiseled marble pillars rose up from the sides of the room, supporting long blocks of marble than spanned the length of the room, that supported an arched ceiling. From the ceiling hung alternating gold and silver chandeliers, evenly spaced so as to light the table perfectly.

Under normal circumstances, the magical lights would have illuminated the room as if it was outside during the day, but these were far from normal circumstances, and as such, the glow was the same as the rest of the castle's lighting. Soft and subdued, like the light of the moon.

The table was long enough to seat twelve ponies comfortably, along with wide enough to provide ample room for extravagant banquets, even if only a few ponies would be present at a time. The table was covered by a fine silk tablecloth, meticulously woven in with golden swirls and flowers of varying kinds and colors that stood out from the background white. Each chair was large enough to seat Princess Celestia or Nightmare Moon and constructed of wood, with comfort as a key aspect of its design, as plush purple cushions set on the seat and in the backrest.

Nightmare strode towards the chair at the end of the table without missing a stride. Twilight followed, but slowed down and surveyed the table. It was a perfect opportunity to put- and keep- some space between her and Nightmare Moon. All she had to do was sit away from her. But, if she sat too far away, Nightmare would undoubtedly see through it for what it was, an attempt to avoid her.

And that, of course, was assuming Nightmare didn't have her own plans. She could simply be assigned a seat and expect to take it without any argument. She picked the seat to the immediate right of where she would normally sit: the seat was one space away from where Princess Celestia sat, on her right side.

But now, Nightmare Moon sat where Princess Celestia sat. "Where do you normally sit?" was her question, and with it, Twilight's plan was shattered.

She couldn't simply lie, as much as she dreaded telling the truth. "I... normally sit to Pr... your sister's immediate right..." she admitted.

Nightmare lit her horn, then pulled the specified chair to her immediate right out for Twilight.

She hesitated, then walked over to the chair and sat down. Normally, she liked this chair. It was a great chair! A familiar one. And the company was normally great! Now the chair was almost her worst enemy, as it put her that much closer to Nightmare Moon. Still, she did her best to hide her discomfort, even if it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been before their talk.

But, of course, it also meant that with her being so much closer to Nightmare Moon- and with them being the only two in the room- she immediately gained the alicorn's attention. "I addressed the ponies of Canterlot while you were sleeping," she said.

Nightmare paused and looked over Twilight's features. "Communication is important, after all."

"Of course," she offered in agreement.

Nightmare took a deep breath. "I reassured them that they will retain their current rights under the law while I review it. I do not expect to make many changes. In the future, I do expect you to be at my side," she stated.

And that was one thing Twilight immediately dreaded. Equestria would view her as a traitor if that happened.

"But I did not speak of you being my student yet," Nightmare continued.

Twilight felt relieved at that, but at the same time, it horrified her. It meant that, yes, while Equestria wouldn't view her as a traitor, it also wouldn't be suspect for Nightmare to dispose of her as Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student.

"I would rather you be at my side when I do," Nightmare added. Twilight just nodded. For a few seconds, Nightmare was quiet, studying her. "You know my goals, correct?"

Twilight shifted her weight. "Um... you want eternal night and... you want to be... respected."

Nightmare inclined her head once in affirmation. "That is correct. So tell me, Twilight Sparkle, how do I best see to it that I am respected?"

Twilight wasn't sure how to proceed with that. Many thoughts ran through her mind- some legitimate answers, and some were pointing out certain issues that could make it somewhat difficult for her to succeed at that. And of course, how could she give an actual, honest opinion on that?

Before she could answer, Nightmare continued, "I recognize that fear and intimidation will only get me so far. I will not have my rule overshadowed by my sister. Do not think that this means I will not crush any dissent; I merely recognize that acting too aggressively will destabilize my rule. And if that happens, it will create problems and headaches for me. And I will not enjoy this. To say nothing of the fact that I do not want to rule over a dead world, and if ponies refuse to submit, then that could be what happens."

Twilight shivered at the thought. Beyond a doubt, Nightmare could back up that threat. "Right..." she trailed off and looked down at the table. "Well... fear obviously works... to an extent. You... have the power to back up your... threats," she said hesitantly. Slowly, she looked up at Nightmare, who waited patiently. And honestly, that surprised her. Nightmare actually wanted her input. Nightmare said she had wanted that input in her promise, but she hadn't believed it. She took a deep breath. "I... you want ponies to respect you, and... fear can get you that, but it can also cause problems-"

"This I recognize," Nightmare stated.

She fell silent for a moment. When she opened her mouth to continue, the door opened. Nightmare glanced away from her, and she too turned to see what the interruption was. One of the castle's servers walked in. Rigidly and nervously, he approached. Using his magic, he pulled at the bowtie around his neck, like it was too tight or constricting. And he looked uncomfortable in the black tuxedo, but nonetheless, he managed to maintain at least some form of professionalism.

"What would you like to eat, y-your Majesty?" was his question.

She turned to look at Nightmare. For a brief moment, the alicorn smirked. "Surprise me," was her response.

A quick glance at the server revealed an absolutely horrified expression, but he nodded in response and turned to face her. "And you?"

After a moment's thought, she glanced back at Nightmare, then returned to face him. "I'll... have what she has," she answered.

The server nodded, then turned around and made a hasty retreat- one that was at least twice, perhaps three times as quick as his approach.

After he was gone, she felt Nightmare look at her again. She looked back at her. "I... guess it depends on what you want to do..." she ventured. She gulped as she considered her next question, before finally mustering the courage to ask it: "Do you... want ponies to live in fear..?"

Nightmare Moon looked aside for a moment, pondering it. "A thousand years ago, I would have answered yes, as those ungrateful foals denied me my privilege. I am, however, willing to give ponies a chance today. But no, I do not necessarily want them living in constant fear. If it earns me respect, then it has value; however, if it causes problems or makes my reign worse, then I am willing to consider alternatives."

She closed her eyes and tensed up. "Do you want ponies to respect you or... love you like your sister?" she rushed out. A few seconds passed without an answer, so she took the risk of opening her eyes.

Nightmare once again pondered her question. "That would be ideal, yes. However, I already know they will not love me as they do my sister. Things have always been that way..."

There was a bitterness in Nightmare's voice, but to her surprise, it didn't scare her. It only made her frown and feel guilty. After all, there had been an entire section of Canterlot Castle that was, supposedly, night themed, and she had never taken the time to properly explore it. And Nightmare Moon was the Queen of the Night.

She sighed. Her stomach growled. Nightmare looked back at her.

One thing was certain: 'It's going to take forever for our food to get here.'

Author's Note:

Three things are important to an empire: Communication, Control, and Commerce. Love is more powerful than fear.

When rereading this chapter for edits, I came to one simple conclusion, "This chapter is about 25% too long." And there are two chapters that are longer than this.

To be completely honest, with having written ahead another ~100,000 words, I have to admit that a fear plagues me right now that I've accidentally, inadvertently drawn out Twilight's fears too much. It wasn't my intent or plan, but that's how the story has kind of turned into. It lingers a lot more on Twilight's fears and doubts than I intended, but then again, around 120k words I intended for something major to happen, and it's not happened yet. So I'll probably be adding the drama tag alongside one of the next few chapters I publish.

And I also have to admit that I'm a bit concerned that I might be writing plot holes and not realizing it, because this story is pretty long so far, and It's sort of funny because a lot of stuff that happened towards the mid to end of this chapter I remember happening, but I remember it happening in later chapters, so I've got some investigating to do.

Namely, with having reread this, I find it so incredibly odd for Nightmare Moon to have admitted that she feels that she has been a bit too harsh with Twilight. It makes me feel a bit leery about it. It's probably because of its proximity (chapter wise) to her taking Twilight as her student, although on the other hand, it is about 17k words after that happens, and Nightmare has seen Twilight as being quite vulnerable and not exactly the hero Equestria needs. And there's also that Nightmare had time to ponder it while Twilight slept again. So I'm not completely sure regarding this.

I also didn't intend to publish a chapter today, being so close to the 25th. But, ah, I couldn't in my right mind ignore yesterday being Princess Luna day.

Comments

[Sir Budginton]

NMM is in a really interesting position in this story. She wants ponies to love her and her night, while at the same time taking away their beloved ruler. She needs to strike that balance between fear and compassion, too far either way and it will all come crumbling down. Or in fear's case, she, along with everyone else, will be truly unhappy. And that's not what anyone wants.

I can't wait to see the public's reaction to Twilight being NMM's student. I can already tell that will go anything but well. People will probably say something along the lines of NMM threatening her (which is true), mind magic, Twilight going insane from grief, and probably a huge bunch of other stuff.

Can't wait to see what happens.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

At least NMM recognizes the fear only takes you so far.

[Ebonyknight1000]

I like the current flow and breath of this story..thank you for sharing

[SC_Orion]

9362573
Given the position Nightmare Moon is in, and her goals, I think it'd be a bit silly for her not to realize that fear isn't the perfect solution for all of her problems.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

9363401
True but many don't

[Ocean_Stardust]

Great story

[Vaguely Demented]

Nightmare Moon kind comes across as a slightly estranged version of Machiavelli. It’s a fascinating take on her.

[SC_Orion]

9371751
Niccolò Machiavelli? I had to use google to find out who that is. The quotes of his that come up seem like they could fit Nightmare Moon in this. In particular,

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

and to a lesser extent,

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

[Vaguely Demented]

9371869
Guy had a good grasp on politics, if a very bleak one. Mostly these days people reference him in relation to a calculating end justifies the means mentality, Machiavellian is even a word in the dictionary.

[Nightsclaw]

So far so good, this is an interesting story that I look forward to reading more of. I like how you are handling NMM and look forward to seeing more interactions between her and Twilight.

[Chillean]

Ok, you got me. I was skeptical after the first chapter, but I'm hooked now lol